Italian Sausage Bake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another simple recipe that is great for busy days or poorly equipped summer kitchens. The peppers in the dish provide all the liquid needed to cook the casserole and the high temperature at which it bakes is no accident. You need a hot, 400 degree oven, to assure all the ingredients properly cook. I do want to point out that the casserole requires 2 hours in the oven, so your dinner plans will have to take that into account. While I have seen the recipe on many blogs, I think it was originally posted on a site called Food Fanatic, which you can find here. This makes a nice family dinner and I think those of you who like hearty, well-flavored food will enjoy this simple casserole. Here is how it is made.

Sausage and White Bean Stew - Away A While Recipe Favorites

Sausage and White Bean Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our day, which began with a bell clear opal sky, had by midmorning lost all sense of which season gravitational rotation it intended  to honor. Temperatures plummeted, than came sheets of rain that were followed by a volley of hail that beat the daylights out of any fruits trees that were still in bloom. A dinner of soup and salad, planned while the sun was in ascendance, seemed perfect for a temperate day, but once the hail began to bounce and beat tattoo, it was pretty obvious that menu needed to be revisited. Last month's issue of Bon Appetit magazine had a recipe for a sausage and bean stew that sounded delicious. It had the added virtue of being very easy to make and this was a perfect day to give it a try. While I didn't have all the ingredients the recipe call for, I did have workable substitutes and set to work with what I had on hand. I had a wonderful stew within 45 minutes, as well as a recipe that effortlessly earned a place in my permanent rotation. I hope you will give this dish a try. It is less heavy than a true winter stew but it is substantial and great for cusp days that demand a bit more than standard spring fare. The recipe for the stew can be found here.

                    

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                One Year Ago Today:                                                        Two Years Ago Today:

     Food and Stories for Halloween                                             Whole Wheat Penne with Kale

                Three Years Ago Today:                                                 Four Years Ago Today: 

                   Apple Cider Donuts                                                        Buffalo-Style Hot Wings

Herbed White Bean and Sausage Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Beans did not play a major role in the diets of most families in the area where I was raised. My mother was an Easterner, so we were the exception and Boston Baked Beans appeared often on our table. As I recall, my siblings and I hated them, so as soon as it was possible, I saw to it that dried beans never made it to my kitchen, much less my table. While I would serve canned beans for picnics and barbecues, and occasionally made a cassoulet, beans simply were not part of our diet. Things changed about three years ago when we were traveling and beans were served with most of our meals. I was not an immediate convert, but some of the preparations were good enough to make me curious, and I began to experiment with bean soups and stews. Very few of those recipes ever made it to the blog, but the ones you will find in the index are truly exceptional. The bean stew I'm featuring today certainly falls into that category. I found the recipe for it in The New York Times and it has become a hands down favorite of my family ever since. The stew is remarkably flavorful and quite easy to prepare. It is perfect for this time of year and I do hope you'll give it a try. Here is how it is made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Sausage Broccoli and Noodle Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While this is a nice recipe for any cook in a hurry, it is a gift for those who must feed a family on a limited food budget. It's also wonderful for teenage cooks and  dormitory cooking. I found the recipe in Family Circle magazine and chose it because it because it was inexpensive to prepare. I had no expectations the first time I made the dish, but I was pleasantly surprised. For six dollars and ten minutes of my time, I ended up with a hearty and quite tasty meal that proved yet again, that I don't know as much as I think I do. There are no tricks to the preparation of this dish and you'll need no special equipment to make it. Its cost and ease of preparation make it a perfect choice for a frugal Friday feature and I think you will enjoy it.  Do give it a try. Here is how this very simple dish is made.

Sausage, Broccoli and Noodles...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
3 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodle soup, chicken flavor
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3 links sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
3 cups frozen baby broccoli flowerets, thawed
Freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:
1) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles for 2 minutes, reserving seasoning packets for later use. Drain noodles and set aside. In a small bowl, stir together sour cream and cornstarch. Set aside.
2) Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up with a spoon, for 5 minutes or until cooked through.
3) Add broccoli, 1 cup water and 1-1/2 teaspoons of the ramen chicken seasoning to skillet. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 3 minutes or until broccoli is cooked through.
4) Remove cover and stir sour cream mixture into skillet. Cook for 1 minute or until sauce has thickened. Add noodles to skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Season to taste with freshly cracked pepper (I used 1/4 teaspoon). Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

      

                                                    Older Posts

                  One Year Ago Today:                                               Two Years Ago Today:

                          Treacle Tart                                                            Peppermint Bark

                    Three Years Ago Today:                                                Four Years Ago Today: 

                  Broccoli and Cheese Soup                                        Meat Ball Sub with Sicilian Sausage

Rigatoni with Broccoli and Sausage

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple weeknight supper can be table ready in a bit less than 30 minutes. It makes a nice family meal with minimal use of pots and pans, or wear and tear on the cook. This is not a saucy pasta but it has wonderful flavor. I use linguica when I make this for my family, but any well-seasoned sausage can be used, as long as you are careful about the heat level of the sausage you select. The dish also uses red pepper flakes, which when paired with a hot and spicy sausage, can make the dish surprisingly hot and over-the-top for some diners. I'm quite fond of this pasta because of its ample use of broccoli, which is a favorite of mine. I make additional cheese available at the table and I always save a cup or so of the pasta cooking water to provide extra moisture if it is necessary. I do hope you'll give this recipe a try.Here is how this simple pasta supper is made.

Rigatoni with Broccoli and Sausage...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:
3/4 pound Italian-style sausage, casings removed
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 pound rigatoni
3/4 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
1 head broccoli (2-1/2 pounds), cut into flowerets (8 cups)
1 tablespoon garlic olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan

Directions:
1) Bring large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.
2) Crumble sausage into nonstick skillet with garlic; saute 5 minutes.
3) Add rigatoni to boiling water. Cook until al dente, tender yet firm.
4) Add broth, flakes and broccoli to skillet. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover; add oil, juice, salt, pepper and Parmesan. Remove from heat.
5) Drain pasta. Place in a serving bowl. Toss with sauce. Cover bowl and let sit for 2 minutes. Yield: 6 servings.

If you have enjoyed your visit here, I hope you'll take a minute to...

      

One Year Ago Today: Triple Peanut Butter Cookies

Two Years Ago Today: Savory Monkey Bread

Three Years Ago Today: Sweet Raspberry Tea

Four Years Ago Today: Uptown Hoe Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Sausage, Potato and Fennel Soup

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From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...You'd be hard pressed to find a room, parking spot or reservation in town today. University graduation has packed this small city  to its rafters and sensible folks stay as far from the downtown area as they can. The Silver Fox and I are taking it a step further and we're heading to the coast until things return to normal around here. While there is one new restaurant we are curious to try, I'll be chief cook and bottle washer for most of the time we are away. The recipe I'm featuring tonight comes from Fine Cooking magazine and it is perfect for vacationers cooking in less than ideal kitchens. It is packed with flavor, quick to prepare and very easy on the palate. It's perfect for a lunch or light supper on the water. Fennel, which is readily available at this time of year, gives this soup remarkable flavor and help gives it texture as well. I usually add an extra potatoes to the pot to give it more substance. You can mash some of the potatoes in the pot to thicken the soup, but I've found it more effective to cook a potato separately, and then mash and add it to the soup as a thickener just before serving. This is very easy to make and it is delicious. I hope you will give it a try. Here's how the soup is made.

Sausage, Potato and Fennel Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Fine Cooking magazine

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage (about 4 links), casings removed
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into large dice (about 2 cups)
1 medium red onion, cut into large dice
1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and cut into large dice (about 2 cups), plus 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fennel fronds for garnish
3 tablespoons dry sherry
4 cups lower-salt chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf
1/4 cup chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
2 tablespoons  heavy cream
1 teaspoon  finely grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Direction:
1) Heat oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring with a wooden spatula to break it up into small pieces, until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in potato, onion, and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add  sherry and stir, scraping  bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, about 30 seconds.
2) Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce  heat and simmer until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, 10 to 12 minutes.
3) Add  parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and lemon zest and stir until incorporated.
4) Using  spatula or a potato masher, gently crush  cooked potatoes until most of them are mashed and  stew is somewhat thickened. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Serve hot, garnished with fennel fronds. Yield: 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Blueberry Blintzes

Two Years Ago Today: Linguine with Peas Garlic and Ricotta Salata

Three Years Ago Today: Southwestern Cilantro Rice

Four Years Ago Today: Ultimate Cheater's Pulled Pork

Sausage and White Bean Stew

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our day, which began with a bell clear opal sky, had by midmorning lost all sense of which season gravitational rotation intended it to honor. Temperatures plummeted, than came sheets of rain that were followed by a volley of hail that beat the daylights out of any fruits trees that were still in bloom. A dinner of soup and salad, planned while the sun was in ascendance, seemed perfect for a temperate day, but once the hail began to bounce and beat tattoo, it was pretty obvious that menu needed to be revisited. Last month's issue of Bon Appetit magazine had a recipe for a sausage and bean stew that sounded delicious. It had the added virtue of being very easy to make and this was a perfect day to give it a try. While I didn't have all the ingredients the recipe call for, I did have workable substitutes and set to work with what I had on hand. I had a wonderful bean stew within 45 minutes as well as a recipe that effortlessly earned a place in my permanent rotation. I hope you will give this dish a try. It is less heavy than a true winter stew but it is substantial and great for cusp days that demand a bit more than standard spring fare. Here is how the stew is made.

Sausage and White Bean Stew...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Bon Appetit magazine

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 pound fresh Italian sausage links
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 sprig thyme
2 (15-ounce) cans Great Northern or cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)
Smoked paprika (optional)

Directions:
1) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate.
2) Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook, crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in apple cider vinegar. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.
3) Slice sausage and fold into stew; add water to thin, if desired. Divide stew among bowls; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired. Yield: 4 servings.






One Year Ago Today: Sugar-Crusted Blueberry Quick Bread















Two Years Ago Today: Mocha Crumb Cake















Three Years Ago Today: Papaya-Lime Fool
















Four Years Ago Today: Braised Pork Chops with Homemade Curry and Chutney Sauce

Moroccan Lamb Sausage with Golden Raisin Couscous

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I thought I had escaped the annual curse, but I just can't beat back the wanderlust that overcomes me at this time of year. It's the kind of yearning that a day trip to the coast or mountains simply will not cure. So, I pull out the travel brochures and the unrequited wish lists from years past, and the Silver Fox and I spend hours charting the course for yet another adventure. Our destination this year will be North Africa and the Middle East, but the specific areas we'll be visiting are completely dependent on the political climate come next fall. In the meantime, I'll be delving into the cooking of the region, so the food we encounter won't come as a complete surprise to us. I've made the recipe I'm featuring tonight several times, and it has much to commend it. It is fast, easy and relatively inexpensive. Better still, I think you'll find the spicy lamb sausage, called Merguez, to be absolutely delicious. I found the recipe for the lamb patties in an old issue of Gourmet magazine, and I think you'll find it to be is straight forward and hard to spoil. I do, however, have one caution to share with you. It is easy to overcook the lamb and you don't want to do that. The time listed in the recipe below will give you medium rare lamb patties, but I aim for something pinker, so I cut the cooking time from 9 to 7 minutes. The raisin-couscous is a perfect foil for the spicy and juicy lamb and the entire meal can be on the table in about 30 minutes. If, like me, you tire of repetition and enjoy sampling food from other regions, I hope you'll give this recipe a try. You will not regret it. Most of you will be able to find harissa in large grocery stores, but should you have to make it, I have a recipe for you HERE. Here's how this simple flavor packed meal is made. Enjoy!

Merguez Lamb Patties with Golden Raisin Couscous...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Andrea Albin and Gourmet magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/4 teaspoons fennel seeds
1-1/4 pounds ground lamb
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons harissa (spicy North African condiment)
1-1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/4 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1-1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or water
1/3 cup golden raisins
1 cup couscous
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions:
1) Toast fennel seeds in a small heavy skillet over medium heat until fragrant and a shade darker, about 1 minute. Grind to a fine powder in grinder.
2) Mix together lamb, garlic, harissa, spices (including fennel), and 1/2 teaspoon salt thoroughly with your hands (do not overmix). Form into 4 oval patties (about 3/4 inch thick).
3) Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook patties, turning once, about 9 minutes total for medium-rare.
4) While patties cook, bring broth, raisins, and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan, then stir in couscous. Let stand off heat, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; stir in cilantro, zest, and salt to taste. Serve patties on couscous. Yield: 4 servings.








One Year Ago Today: White Chocolate  and Raspberry Cheesecake













Two Years Ago Today: Lemon Chicken with Capers and Penne Pasta














Three Years Ago Today: French Breakfast Puffs















Four Years Ago Today: Chicken with Lemon and Rosemary

SNAP Challenge - Menu and Recipes Day Seven

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Food stamps help millions of Americans feed themselves and their families, but they also help major companies boost their bottom lines. The CEO of Kraft has said he opposes cuts to SNAP benefits. Altruistic? Empathetic? Hardly. Snap purchases make up one-sixth of the company's revenue and an even greater share of its total sales. While food manufacturers give lip service to nutritional awareness, they privately lobby for the addition of sugar rich food and beverages to the list of items that SNAP will pay for. They are not alone. Other major food manufacturers such as Coca-Cola and Mars also benefit from SNAP. So do food retailers like Walmart and Kroger. In the state of Oklahoma alone, Walmart, which controls 22 to 24 percent of food retail nationwide, made $506 million for participation in the SNAP program over the course of two years. The third group of SNAP beneficiaries are the banks, such as J.P. Morgan Chase, who handle fund transfers and the administration of EBT systems throughout the states. A major contradiction of the times in which we live, is the fact that while states are seeing unexpected cost increases, banks are reaping significant windfalls from the economic downturn and increasing SNAP participation.

More Americans than ever before have to rely on SNAP dollars to help make ends meet. The recession has put forty-six million people in the program and that number is expected to climb higher still, at least through 2014. The rapid expansion of the program has made it an easy target for politicians who are proposing drastic cuts over a ten year period of time. Any cuts to this vital program will only hurt millions of American families. Clear thinking is needed now. We need to develop policies that ensure SNAP resources are used to reduce food insecurity and promote healthier diets, not to subsidize the profits of the food industry or banks.

As for Bob and me, we've made it through the challenge. It was an exercise for us, but one we took very seriously. I think we've shown it can be done, but it is important to remember that our situation is unique. I am retired and have no baby on my hip or toddlers pulling at my skirt. I have the gift of time and came to the challenge with years of kitchen experience and a background in logistics and planning. And despite my bravado, I always knew there would be a next meal. There was so much more I wanted to share with you. I wanted to answer questions and pose them as well. How do you build a functioning pantry? Why don't you buy in bulk? How do you shop if there is no car? How do you explain all this to children who want in a land of plenty? Why did you do this? I can answer that last one for you now. I am enraged by the proposed cuts to SNAP program. I was raised by parents and surrounded by neighbors who taught me that there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who see the world as it is, and those who see the world as it should be. The 5,000 of you who visit here each day have given me a platform and allowed me to share my vision of the world as it should be. I thank you for that. Please do what you can to highlight the problem of hunger in America. Allocations for SNAP are included in the U.S. Farm Bill, a five-year agricultural policy omnibus bill that's up for renewal and revision this year. This is the bill that should be watched. Hunger in our country is a problem that has an all too human face. Let's not make their problems worse.

                                         Menu for SNAP Challenge Day Seven

                                                           Breakfast

                                                         Orange Juice
                                                             Coffee
                                     Pancakes with Maple-Flavored Syrup

                                                             Lunch

                                                     Leftover Chicken
                                                  Leftover Rice Cakes

                                                            Dinner

                               Small Chopped Salads with Boiled Dressing
                                      Stovetop Smoked Sausage Casserole
                                                        Corn Muffns

                                                    Stovetop Smoked Sausage Casserole

Ingredients:
3 green bell peppers, cut into 1-inch dice
1 large onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 large carrot, cut in 1/2-inch dice
12 to 16-ounces smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup milk
Garnish: chopped fresh parsley or basil

Directions:
1) Combine peppers, onion, garlic, potatoes, carrots, sausage, oil and spices in a large skillet with a lid. Mix well.
2) Cover. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes and carrots are cooked through. Stir in milk. Cover and cook another 2 minutes. Spoon into 4 soup bowls. Garnish with parsley and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Chocolate Brownie Clusters

Two Years Ago Today: Pink Grapefruit Salad Dressing

Three Years Ago Today: Torpedo Rolls

Apple, Sage and Sausage Dressing

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a perfect dressing to serve with a cider brined turkey like the one I featured yesterday. While there is some chopping involved, the dressing is easy to make and it is a perfect accompaniment for turkey on Thanksgiving Day. While I prefer to bake the mixture, it can also be used to stuff the turkey if that is more to your liking. The dressing is flavorful and moist and I know that those of you who try it will be pleased with its unique flavor combination. Here's how it is made.

Apple, Sage and Sausage Stuffing...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Whole Foods

Ingredients:
1 loaf sourdough hearth bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 11 cups)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 pound fresh mild pork or chicken sausage, bulk or removed from casings
4 Braeburn, Gala or other apples, cored and diced
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup chopped fresh sage leaves
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spread bread cubes out on two baking sheets and bake until dried but not browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
2) Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up chunks with a spoon, until browned, about 6 minutes. Add apples, celery, onion and butter and cook, stirring occasionally, until apple and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes more. Add to bread. Stir in broth, sage, salt and pepper.
3) If using mixture to stuff a turkey, cool completely before stuffing. If baking separately, heat oven to 350 degrees F; bake in a buttered casserole dish until lightly browned and crisp on top, 50 to 60 minutes. Yield: 12 to 14 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Poulet au Vinaigre de Romarin

Two Years Ago Today: Stracciatella- Roman Egg Drop Soup

Three Years Ago Today: Bittersweet Chocolate Snowballs